This invention relates to a Christmas tree stand which features an inner well to contain water for sustaining the tree and an outer peripheral skirt which buttresses the well and supports the load of the stand containing the tree and water.
A Christmas tree stand of the aforementioned kind, preassembled with hardware for locating and supporting a tree, is fully described in applicant""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,414. Because the stand is supplied in a fully assembled state, it has not been possible to nest a plurality of stands so that they can be stacked during shipping or at the point of sale. The hardware provided for supporting the tree is such that it may be difficult to assemble by a consumer and in order to use the Christmas tree stand to its full advantage, it is desirable to provide the stand with the hardware already assembled.
An object of this invention is to provide a Christmas tree stand of the kind defined in U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,414 which can also be nested so that less volume will be required during storage, shipping and at the point of sale.
In accordance with the invention, access means are provided in the outer peripheral skirt of the tree stand through which the hardware of nested stands may penetrate. The access means may take the form an opening extending longitudinally along a portion of the height of the peripheral skirt between a locating pin forming part of the hardware and a perimetric edge of the skirt. The shape of the opening may vary as shown in the accompanying drawings. Preferably, one end of the opening remote from the associated pin is greater in diameter in order to accommodate a knob which is normally provided for manipulating the locating pins.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the opening takes the form of an open slot which extends through the perimetric edge of the skirt and thereby defines legs in the skirt.
In a third embodiment of the invention, the legs defined by an open slot for accommodating the support pins are strengthened by providing a connecting web between the legs and which is shaped to allow clearance for pins and knobs during stacking of the tree stand.